


The Gift

by captain_sassy_socks



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Dinner, Friendship, Gen, Season/Series 06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21835861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_sassy_socks/pseuds/captain_sassy_socks
Summary: “It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re holed up in your lab. Don’t you have anywhere else to be?”A vague smile graced her lips. She shook her head. “No, not really.”
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	The Gift

The laptop in Sam’s lab displayed the latest results from her current experiment. Three days ago, SG-8 had brought back a cylindrical, metallic artifact that, according to Daniel’s translation, ‘transported waves of knowledge’. Whatever that meant. Therefore, for the last six hours, Sam had tried to figure out what that device was actually capable of or what its real purpose was.

The results showed that the device emitted EM radiation at a low frequency, however, the waves were irregular and defied predictable pattern. At least she hadn’t detected any, yet.

She frowned at the data set. Unfortunately, it remained inconclusive. She had to rethink the experimental set-up.

“Carter?”

Sam hadn’t heard anybody entering her lab. She averted her gaze from the captivating distribution graph and spotted Colonel O’Neill in front of the workbench. His hand picked up a screwdriver and fiddled with it.

“Sir,” she greeted him off-handedly and steered her attention back to the numerical values. There had to be something she was missing.

“What are you doing here?” he inquired and interrupted her train of thought. His fingers were still toying with the tool.

Sam straightened, took a deep breath and started to explain, “Actually, sir, I am studying the EM radiation that is emitted from the artifact. It’s quite fasci-”

“Ack!” Colonel O’Neill’s hands shot up and interrupted her mid-sentence. The screwdriver landed on the cold work surface with a clanking bang. “It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re holed up in your lab. Don’t you have anywhere else to be?”

A vague smile graced her lips. She shook her head. “No, not really.”

“What about your brother? Or Janet and Cassie?” the Colonel dug deeper, sincere and a bit puzzled.

“Well, my brother decided to flee from the cold and spend the holidays in the Caribbean. And my father is somewhere out there.” She waved toward the sky above. “Janet and Cassie are skiing in Wolf Creek this year.”

“Really?” His eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Yeah. She wanted to show Cassie that winter sport can be fun.”

“Good luck!” he quipped. “Maybe, she should have taken Teal’c with them.”

The image of the mighty Jaffa on skis swam in front of her mind’s eye. It was neither graceful nor majestic, rather comical and extremely entertaining. Sam bit her lower lip to stifle a giggle.

“So...” the Colonel pointed to the clutter of tools.

“Yeah, I’d rather be here.” She didn’t supplement her statement since he knew the dispiriting and crushing feeling of an empty house, especially during the holidays. Personally, it reminded her of all the things she had sacrificed or lost. Whereas other people celebrated among familiar faces, she was alone.

“What about you?” The question had left her mouth before she could stop it.

“Carter...” he trailed off. An underlying warning was embedded in the way he spoke her name. They drifted toward dangerous territory.

“Sorry, sir!” The graph on the screen fascinated her all of a sudden.

His middle finger drummed on the shiny surface of the workbench. Together with the low whirring noise coming from the artifact, they created the only sounds.

The awkward silence stretched between them.

“Carter.” The pronunciation of her name was softer, gentler. He paused and waited until she directed her undivided attention toward him. “If you can drag yourself away from your doohickeys, there’ll be a Christmas dinner in the mess hall tomorrow evening.”

She appreciated his attempt to lighten the mood. “What’s for dinner?”

“Oh, let’s see,” he ticked the items off, “Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pie, and cake.” He looked like a kid in a candy store. “Lots of cake. Chocolate, cheesecake, fruit, whatever your heart desires.”

Sam grinned at his childlike enthusiasm. Colonel O’Neill and cake, they had a close, almost intimate relationship. “No vegetables, sir?” She asked, amused.

“Ugh, might be somewhere on the menu.” His feigned disgust made her giggle.

“No giggling, Major,” he playfully admonished her. “Just think about it.” She felt his warm, sparkling eyes on her, communicating in a way where words usually failed them.

“I will,” she promised and nodded.

“Good.” He tapped his finger one last time. “I’ll leave you to whatever you’re doing,” he indicated to the clutter and retreated with steady steps. At the door, he turned around and addressed her, “And Carter.”

She raised her head. “Yes, sir?”

“Don’t be so long.”

The muscles of her face ached under the onslaught of a full-blown smile.

Christmas didn’t look so suffocating and lonely anymore.

***

The next day, Sam woke up early and went jogging before breakfast. The empty streets were cast in a soft, sparkling glow. The snow refracted the light from the festive decorations assembled in front yards and windows. The ice crystals crunched under her feet, whereas the cold air burned its way through her respiratory system and painted her cheeks red.

Sam felt alive and uplifted on this beautiful Christmas morning.

After a quick shower and a bowl of cornflakes, she turned on the TV and mindlessly flipped through the endless number of channels. Everywhere, the spirit of Christmas was advertised. Joyful songs, happy family reunions, and cringe-worthy ads assaulted her senses.

The otherwise silent house became more and more oppressive with each passing minute.

By lunch, she was back in her lab, her safe haven. When she approached her desk, she discovered a small present, neatly gift-wrapped but without a card attached. She scrutinized it to figure out the identity of her Secret Santa. The wrapping paper was covered with snowmen and bananas with Santa hats. The ridiculous design gave her the first clue. Carefully, she removed the outer layer to reveal a cardboard box. She opened it and held a coffee mug in her hand. The famous ‘two atoms walk along the street’ joke was imprinted. Inside, she found a bag of Darth Vader shaped candy.

Her heartfelt laughter rumbled through the quiet lab. Her team members had gone out of their way to find her a fitting gift. Reverently, she traced the rim of the mug before she placed it on the shelf behind her. She would treasure every sip from it.

Sam unsealed the candy bag and popped a red Darth Vader. It tasted like strawberry. Delicious.

Time flew during the next few hours as she experimented on the artifact and tried to reveal its secrets. At some point, she had to admit it was a lost cause. She was no closer to knowing what was buried inside. However, surrender was not an option in her book.

A shadow entered the lab and loomed over her. Sam looked up and greeted him, “Hi, Teal’c. What’s up?” Her eyes flickered between the data on the computer screen and her team member.

Stoic, the Jaffa announced, “Colonel O’Neill has requested my assistance to ensure that you will not miss dinner.”

That was so typical for the Colonel. He was always concerned about the well-being of each member of SG-1. Obviously, he was suspicious of her. Given her work habits, it seemed like a wise decision to enlist the help of Teal’c. As if she would ditch his invitation.

“Okay. Just give me five.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed that he hadn’t moved a muscle and remained rooted to his spot, arms folded behind his back.

Sam indicated to the artifact, “Really Teal’c. I need five minutes to power everything down.” She wasn’t keen on copying the incident that Doctor Felger had caused two weeks ago when he had forgotten to unplug one of his experiments. The renovation works were still ongoing in that lab and the adjacent corridor.

Her teammate’s facial expression remained impassive. Somehow, Sam got the distinct feeling that he had received strict instructions and had every intention to follow through with them.

She removed all cables, unplugged all equipment from their power sources, and shut down her laptop. With a smile and a dramatic wave of her hand, she proclaimed, “Ready to go!”

Once she rounded the workstation, she stopped in front of Teal’c and placed her hand on his forearm. “Thank you for the wonderful gift. I appreciate the personal touch you added.” Her fingers squeezed him to convey her sincere gratitude.

Teal’c bowed his head in his unique way that told her he appreciated her genuine gesture.

Side by side, they walked down the corridors in comfortable silence.

When Sam entered the mess hall, she was swept off her feet by the festive decorations. Everywhere white and red lights sparkled, garlands embellished the walls, candles were placed on each table, and a tall Christmas stood in one corner. Handcrafted ornaments adorned the branches. She even caught sight of a large twig of mistletoe hanging over the entrance.

One side of her lips curled up. Only one culprit crossed her mind, who could accomplish such a mission. He probably enlisted the help of a kind soul with exceptional organizing abilities named MSgt. Harriman.

She surveyed the room and found Colonel O’Neill deep in conversation with MSgt. Siler. The Colonel had taken over as temporary base commander in the absence of General Hammond, who spent the holidays among his children and grandchildren. Once she saw the joyful faces of the personnel on base, she conceded that he had done a pretty good job in spreading the Christmas spirit.

Jonas approached her on her left side, holding a half-full cup close to his lips. “This is really delicious. You know, we don’t have something like that back at home.”

Sam stared at the content inside and furrowed her brows. “How many cups have you already consumed?”

“Three. Why?” Jonas replied, confused.

“If I were you, I would go easy on the eggnog. It might be spiked.”

“Spiked?” His eyes examined the yellow, creamy liquid in his cup.

“Yep, one of Earth’s more entertaining Christmas traditions.” She patted him on the shoulder and strolled toward the large buffet section.

Her gaze traveled over the diverse selection of foods. The Colonel hadn’t lied when he had listed the available options. She picked up a plate and loaded some turkey, mashed potatoes, and stewed carrots on it. She passed the dessert section and chuckled. Lots of cake wasn’t exaggerated. She could choose from six different types. In the right upper corner, she located her favorite blue jello.

Flabbergasted, she paused. Tiny, adorable Christmas tree jello pieces were neatly arranged on a silver platter. Each was garnished with colorful holiday sprinkles. Warmth flooded her heart and nearly brought her to tears. She was stunned by the effort someone had put into for her.

Sam spun around. Her eyes scanned the mess hall until they landed on Colonel O’Neill.

Their gaze met.

She beamed at him with her megawatt smile and mouthed a heartfelt ‘Thank you’. A knowing smirk crossed his face. He tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, ‘No big deal’. Raising his cup, he drank to her before he joined the conversation in front of him again.

At that moment, Sam was reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. It wasn’t about a marked date in the calendar that forced you to get together with your family and celebrate in a sequence of predetermined events. An elaborated ritual that evolved around a particular type of food, excessive decorations, and over-the-top presents. And on top, everybody expected you to be joyful, charitable, generous, kind, and forgiving.

No, it was about ‘Giving Love’ and ‘Appreciating What We Have’.

SG-1 embodied both. They were a close team with a special bond. They had each other’s back and were there for one another in times of need, comforting, understanding, and supporting. They cherished each other’s presence, strengths, and weaknesses. Together, they had laughed and cried. United, they stood and weathered any intergalactic storm that would threaten them.

SG-1 and Janet, they were her family, not by blood but by choice.

The gift on her shelf was a testimony to it, born out of love and not out of obligation. The significance behind the small gesture molded in blue set her heart aflutter and lifted her spirits.

The saying ‘Home is where the heart is’ crossed Sam’s mind while she scooped up one more mouth-watering Christmas tree.

Her heart belonged to her family at the SGC.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


End file.
